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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

E. G. BYAM, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, AND B. E. PARKI-IURST, OF BRUNSWICK, MAINE, ASSIGNORS TO E. BYAM, OF CHARLESTO'WN, AND E. G. BYAM AND S. A. CARLTON, OF

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

RACK FOR HOLDING COMB MATCH-CARDS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 21,794, dated October 12, 1858.

To all whom t may concer/n.:

Be it known that we, E. G. BYAM, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, and B. E. PARKHURST, of Brunswick, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine, have invented a new and improved rack for holding match-cards for the purpose of dipping them in the sulfur or other preparation and igniting substance or material; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1, is a face view of our improvement. Fig. 2, is a longitudinal vertical and central section of do.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two gures.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct our invention we will proceed to describe it.

A, represents a rectangular frame which may be constructed of wood, and of any proper dimensions. This frame is divided by crossbars a, into a series of compartments Z), as shown clearly in both figures, six compartments being represented. These compartments are all of equal width corresponding to the width of the match cards and to one side of each cross bar a, a spring B, is attached. These springs extend the whole lengt-h of the bars a, and serve to retain the cards in the compartments as said compartments are being filled, the match cards being placed in the compartment one by one.

Various forms of springs may be used. In compartment No. l, an indian-rubber tubular spring is shown. In compartment No. 2, a metal tube with spiral springs behind it. In No. 3, a fiat metal plate is used with spiral springs behind it. In Nos. 4 and 5 convex metal plates are used with spiral springs behind them. In No. 6, an ordinary metal spring plate is shown. These several forms of springs would all ansver a good purpose, either might be use Through one of the side bars c, of the frame A, screws d, pass, these screws clamp or firmly bind the cards in the compartments when said compartments are iilled there being one screw passing into each compartment. The cards are placed in each compartment, alternately in reverse positions as shown in red Fig. 2. By this arrangement the ends of the sticks of each card are kept separate, and the sticks at one side of the frame are first dipped, and the frame then inverted and the opposite side dipped.

It will be seen that a match card may be placed in either of the compartments b, and it will remain where it is placed in consequence of the spring B, of the compartment bearing against it. Consequently the compartments may be filled with sticks with the greatest facility and when filled the whole may be bound firmly together and secured firmly in the compartments by adjusting the several screws d.

We are aware that racks have been used in which match cards are fitted and secured preparatory to dipping them, a single frame being used having one compartment or cell, and the cards secured in the frame by wedges. But we are not aware that springs B, have been employed for retaining each individual card as it is placed in its compartment. We do not claim therefore broadly the employment of a frame to receive the match cards, but

IVe claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The arrangement and combination of the frame A, bars (a,) Springs B, and screws (cZ,) as and for the purposes herein shown and described.

E. G. BYAM. B. E. PARKHURST.

Witnesses:

W. A. FIELD,

HARVEY JEWELL. 

